1. Field of the invention
The present invention is generally directed to a system for temporarily shoring up an excavation site. More particularly the invention is directed to a center beam connection assembly for an excavation site shoring system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a typical excavation site, workers are exposed to numerous hazards. The most common hazard is having the walls of the excavation site cave in on the workers, thus causing serious injury. Often due to soil conditions and wetness, the sides of a construction site will simply collapse. Water is a particularly dangerous hazard because it is so heavy and can destroy shoring, which has not been properly reinforced. Realizing this problem the government, at both the federal and state level, has set up specific requirements for all excavation sites to avoid the problem of cave-ins. For example, the United States Department of Labor and, more specifically, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that excavation sites be prepared with some type of shoring. Additionally, many companies are now aware of the problems involved in a typical excavation site and have developed internal policies requiring shoring for any excavations they contract to have completed.
A good example of a typical excavation project is found in replacing underground storage tanks for a gasoline station. Typically, in such an operation, sheet piling is pounded into the ground in a generally rectangular configuration around the work site. The piling has to be driven extremely deeply into the ground and arranged to provide sufficient support against potential cave-ins. Typically the sheet piling has to be driven so deep that half its total height remains underground after the excavation has been completed. Use of such large amounts of material is quite expensive. After the sheet piling has been installed, the workmen then remove the dirt and fill material from within the rectangular shoring. During the work of removing the old storage tanks and replacing them with new storage tanks, the shoring provides protection to the workmen against potential cave-ins. Once the storage tank replacement operation has been completed, the shoring can either be completely removed or simply cut down to a safe distance below ground and then left in place. Such a method of shoring an excavation site is extremely expensive.
One solution to the problem is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 6,984,092, which discloses a corner connection for temporary shoring providing a connector for interconnecting various beams used to reinforce shoring. See the prior art depiction set forth in FIG. 1. This system utilizes connecting members to secure I-beams together at the corners of an excavation site. A reinforcing assembly helps support the system and includes spacer bars with tabs that connect respective connecting members to a reinforcing bar. Although an improvement over prior shoring arrangements, further reinforcement would be needed should the shoring system of the '092 patent be utilized in a large excavation site.
The following invention addresses the problem of large excavation sites by provided an improved temporary shoring arrangement including a removable center shoring beam system.